# Does anyone use Boveda packs in their humidor?



## John75

I'm about to get a new humidor and am thinking this time around seasoning the humidor and then just throwing a few 65% pack in the humi and forgetting about messing with beads or kitty litter. Figure if they stay at a solid 65% it's a lot easier to change a pack or two rather than messing with rehydrating beads. Also I've had some trouble in the past with the humidor having some spots that are more humid than others and with the packs I can throw a pack or two on each level of the humidor and know that it'll be fairly consistent in there.

I'm not sure if my thinking is right and that Boveda packs are better off for cigars in transit rather than general humidor use. Any thoughts?


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## Jay106n

Yes and I love them. Buy they humidity level you want, place in humi, and forget it. I have been using them for years. They do get old (packs get hard) and need to be replaced after a couple of months, so if you can put the cost factor aside they work very well.


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## jurgenph

once they start getting dry, you can recharge them.
they are two way, so they will absorb exess moisture above their RH level.

i use the old puck/foam humidifiers that came with a humidor to recharge dry boveda packs.
just fill a humidifier with distilled water, and put it in a ziplock bag with your boveda pack, refill once a week until your boveda pack is full again.


J.


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## Suzza

I've used Boveda packs for years and they are amazing. 

There's one important thing you should know though. According to the Boveda website, the RH will be held at around 4% RH lower than the number listed on the pack when used in a wood humidor. Only in a perfectly sealed plastic humidor will the RH match the pack.


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## Fuzzy

I use 65% Boveda packs and dry Kitty Litter together. Once the k/l stabilizes at 65%, the Boveda packs seen to last longer and the k/l helps with the buffering when the storage is opened frequently.


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## orion1

I use the 69 in my desktop and the actual Rh stays at 65-66%. I think if you have a big humidor, it is too expensive and you are better of with beads (what I use for my mini cabinet) or KL (recommended by others). If you have a travel humidor, the Bovedas are perfect.


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## BAllen

I use kitty litter in my wineador


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## Dazz

I use a jar of Ci-Gel in my humi -









It keeps my humi at 68%. Just unscrew the cap and place in the bottom of your humidor. Once the gel starts to turn to liquid just top it up with distilled water. Lasts up to 6 months and is ideal for a 100ct humi. Cheap and easy to use :biggrin:

Cheers-

Dazz


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## Blueracer

I started out using Boveda packets before switching to humidity beads. Still use a couple of the 65% ones I have left until they are dried up and stick strictly with beads. I haven't had any trouble out of them and find them very easy to use. I would recommend them!


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## TMcNasty

I tossed two Boveda 65% packs in my Thompson arch barrel humidor 2-3 days ago. The one I'd had overhumidified for 6 weeks. First time the Hygroset II in it has read 65%...ever. That was easy!


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## piperdown

When from beads to mainly Boveda packs couple of years ago. They keep my humidors rock steady. When they get a little dry it just recharge them.
http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v.../314018-recharging-dry-stiff-boveda-pack.html


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## fuente~fuente

Switched from beads to Boveda as well... Couldn't be happier. 

The most clean, care free, space efficient, and solid way to maintain a humi IMO.


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## Pasty

I use a mix of beads and boveda packs in both of my humis and get a consistent 65-66%. Works like a dream.


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## El Rey

Suzza said:


> I've used Boveda packs for years and they are amazing.
> 
> There's one important thing you should know though. According to the Boveda website, the RH will be held at around 4% RH lower than the number listed on the pack when used in a wood humidor. Only in a perfectly sealed plastic humidor will the RH match the pack.


What Suzza said is extremely important. I use 69% packs in two humidors.

The first humidor (50 count) has an extremely tight seal and did really well in the paper test. During the seasoning process with the humidity close to mid 80s, the lid never sealed on its own and I always had to push it gently to close the final few mm gap between the lid and humidor. This too is an extremely good sign of a tight seal. I am using 2 packs of 69% this humi and the hygrometer (digital & calibrated) consistently reads 69%.

However the second humidor (50 count as well) is not that tightly sealed. 2 packs of 69% in there and the hygrometer always read between 65% and 67%. I added 1 more pack to the humi and the hygrometer now reads between 66% and 68%.

Also keep in mind the ambient humidity. If it is higher than the humidor humidity that you are targeting, you should consider Kitty litter or HF Beads as well. From what I have read to far (yet to use either KL or HF so far) both are faster at absorbing excess humidity that boveda. Hope this helps.


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## El Rey

John75 said:


> I'm not sure if my thinking is right and that Boveda packs are better off for cigars in transit rather than general humidor use. Any thoughts?


Not really. Boveda is not better for transit than for humidor use, but it is better for transit than Kitty litter and HF beads. This is because it can touch the cigars without any ill effect and does not take up much space.


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## Kindanutz

I use boveda packs in my Prometheus desktop and kitty litter in my wineador... Couldn't be happier with either one... The only thing I would wish for would be extra large boveda packs for use in wineador... Maybe someday...


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## Cigar Guru

Boveda + Beads


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## Stiks

I use them in my 150 count and it stays right at 65% I also have a drymistat tube in the bottom to help equalize things. In my other humi (300 count) I use 5 of them with a hydra. I had the power go out once and the hydra reset to 70 which is to high for me. I noticed it running longer than usual and checked it. The hygro read at 66 so I guess the packs help absorb the excess. 

I'm in the process of switching over to KL for it.

I do use them in my travel cases when I go on a trip and they work great!


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## mdwest

I used boveda's extensively.. in both my windeador and my humidors.. also use them for travel... 

I keep about 10 of them on hand at all times.. when they start to dry out, I just recharge them for about a week and put them back in the wineador/humidor...


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## cuban- crafted

I started off using a 69% boveda pack but then switched to a xikar jar. I still us boveda packs in my travel humidor though


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## shawnrichardson

I use (2) 72% and my desktop humi is hanging at 69 & 70 percent.


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## iHabanos

I use to use the Xikar all the time before I found the Boveda products. Now Boveda is all I use. I have never had an issue with them. By far the best you can get for the money.


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## MDS

I have one in my herfador right now and it does not demand any maintenance.


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## JABECmfg

I've had better luck maintaining humidity in the long run when I use the 84% packs to season a humidor, than I have when I used distilled water and a sponge - even if I use Boveda once it's seasoned. I suspect that part of the reason is because when seasoning with a Boveda pack, the cedar is absorbing it at a slow and steady rate over time, than it does when you apply distilled water with a sponge. I also suspect that the intense blasts of moisture from the sponge method will make your cedar more prone to warping. Of course, I could be wrong, but either way I've found that Boveda seems to work best for me - both for seasoning and for maintaining.

One thing to beware of if you're buying Boveda online, is to make sure you're getting the large packs, not the little ones. I thought I'd found a good deal on them once, and learned when they arrived that I'd bought relatively tiny packs. I thought "OK, I'll just use more of them than I planned on" but it seems that they dry out extremely fast, even if you do use a lot of them. The large packs, though, have lasted quite a while in my experience.


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## mihc45

I switched from xikar tubes to boveda 69 % packs and couldn't be happier. So easy to use and I just have 2 sets of packs I switch out as I recharge the older ones


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## fuente~fuente

JABECmfg said:


> I suspect that part of the reason is because when seasoning with a Boveda pack, the cedar is absorbing it at a slow and steady rate over time, than it does when you apply distilled water with a sponge. I also suspect that the intense blasts of moisture from the sponge method will make your cedar more prone to warping. Of course, I could be wrong,


You would be correct sir...

If you are using a cheaper humidor, the wipe down method is a much higher risk for warping your humi. They don't have dove tail joints, & are glued together instead. The floor is also very thin. Add a lot of distilled water & you have a recipe for a possible disaster with your new found humi. Boveda is _much_ safer in this regard...


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## HTML5 Gordon

I now strictly use Bovedas (at least until I do my Wineador project). In my 150 count, I have 4 69% packs in it (in the Spanish Cedar holder that holds 4 packs) and loaded with sticks it is at a rock solid 64%. In my smaller 50 count desktop, 2 packs has it at 65% with about 30 sticks in it.

I even use the Boveda seasoning packs now - throw them in for a week, leave it closed, and the humidor is ready. What can I say, I'm lazy!


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## weeklystogie

I too love these Boveda packs. They are so easy to use and even in my relatively cheap Quality Importers humidor the RH stays exactly where I want it. I realized my recently refilled humidor was underseasoned when I added around 40 cigars over a period of a week or two (found out it was reading about 7% too high before I started adding the cigars). I added four 72% Boveda packs and gave up on checking it after getting consistent readings of 67-68% within a day or two of adding the packs. I'm letting it sit without interruption now to make sure the wood absorbs but will probably take out at least one of the packs - there isn't any risk of overhumidifying with these though unless I guess you are going for a RH way below the stated level on the pack but in that case I think you'd just get the lower RH packs. They also have cool travel packs that I'm thinking on taking of an upcoming Europe trip in case I buy a few sticks along the way.

One question though for everyone that has been using these packs - is there any downside to stacking them? I have them spread out but I'd like to save some space by either using them in place of dividers or stacking two on top of each other, one stack on the top tray and one stack on the bottom?


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## Josh Lucky 13

Jay106n said:


> Yes and I love them. Buy they humidity level you want, place in humi, and forget it. I have been using them for years. They do get old (packs get hard) and need to be replaced after a couple of months, so if you can put the cost factor aside they work very well.


Jay is half right.... but many may not know that they are rechargable as well.


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## fuente~fuente

weeklystogie said:


> One question though for everyone that has been using these packs - is there any downside to stacking them? I have them spread out but I'd like to save some space by either using them in place of dividers or stacking two on top of each other, one stack on the top tray and one stack on the bottom?


I've certainly seen no ill effects... I do rotate them in my humi just like my sticks every so often though.


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## fuente~fuente

HTML5 Gordon said:


> I now strictly use Bovedas (at least until I do my Wineador project).


Why would you switch when you do the winedor Eric? They will last longer & probably be more effective in that environment...


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## weeklystogie

fuente~fuente said:


> I've certainly seen no ill effects... I do rotate them in my humi just like my sticks every so often though.


Just out of curiosity after posting that I emailed the Boveda info e-mail and asked about 1) stacking and 2) mixing Boveda packs of different RH's and received an almost instant response:

1. You can stack the packs or put them wherever you like. They won't damage anything through direct contact.

2. Don't mix. They'll fight each other and not "average".

In any case for someone like me that sometimes goes a month or more without a stick the lack of maintenance is great in my situation, I always seemed to screw it up with some of the other items I tried (user error, not the products - I can just about guarantee that).


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## fuente~fuente

weeklystogie said:


> Just out of curiosity after posting that I emailed the Boveda info e-mail and asked about 1) stacking and 2) mixing Boveda packs of different RH's and received an almost instant response:
> 
> 1. You can stack the packs or put them wherever you like. They won't damage anything through direct contact.
> 
> 2. Don't mix. They'll fight each other and not "average".
> 
> In any case for someone like me that sometimes goes a month or more without a stick the lack of maintenance is great in my situation, I always seemed to screw it up with some of the other items I tried (user error, not the products - I can just about guarantee that).


Good to know about mixing the different RH packs... I don't mix them, but that makes sense, since they're two-way.

I do use different RH%'s for different humi's though. Some hold humi's better than others. This is just another great reason to use Boveda. :nod:


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## HTML5 Gordon

fuente~fuente said:


> Why would you switch when you do the winedor Eric? They will last longer & probably be more effective in that environment...


Well, I've seen almost everyone use beads or kl when doing the wineadors, and I'm definitely going to go with at least a 28 bottle cooler when I do (so I hopefully won't have to do another one too soon) and figured I'd probably need a LOT of Bovedas to get the rh right. Although the thought of it being fairly maintenance free might be worth it. Since almost everyone I've seen is using pounds of beads, I just figured there must be a reason why they chose to go that route. I'd definitely be happier to put 10 or 12 Bovedas in there though if it would work and just rotate fresh ones in while recharging the ones that need it. Less maintenance is always better as far as I'm concerned.


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## dinoa2

I use beads in tubes in some places and Boveda packs in some humidors and containers. the packs are maintenace free and last a long time when you dont constantly open the humi. some have lasted for over 6 months. one comment to the last post-- when they dry out, they are finished, they dont recharge as far as I know


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## fuente~fuente

HTML5 Gordon said:


> Well, I've seen almost everyone use beads or kl when doing the wineadors, and I'm definitely going to go with at least a 28 bottle cooler when I do (so I hopefully won't have to do another one too soon) and figured I'd probably need a LOT of Bovedas to get the rh right. Although the thought of it being fairly maintenance free might be worth it. Since almost everyone I've seen is using pounds of beads, I just figured there must be a reason why they chose to go that route. I'd definitely be happier to put 10 or 12 Bovedas in there though if it would work and just rotate fresh ones in while recharging the ones that need it. Less maintenance is always better as far as I'm concerned.


They use pounds because they _have to_... I will say the initial cost of the Boveda will be a little high, it will no doubt be more effective & easier to maintain.


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## HTML5 Gordon

dinoa2 said:


> I use beads in tubes in some places and Boveda packs in some humidors and containers. the packs are maintenace free and last a long time when you dont constantly open the humi. some have lasted for over 6 months. one comment to the last post-- when they dry out, they are finished, they dont recharge as far as I know


Nope, you can recharge them. I started doing it a while ago, and they all seem to work just as well as new ones - no variances in the rh when using the recharged ones. Here's a good thread about it: *http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...ssion/307723-recharging-humidity-devices.html*


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## fuente~fuente

HTML5 Gordon said:


> Nope, you can recharge them. I started doing it a while ago, and they all seem to work just as well as new ones - no variances in the rh when using the recharged ones. Here's a good thread about it: *http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...ssion/307723-recharging-humidity-devices.html*


They are def rechargeable, my ace is just to lazy to do so. :lol:

As a matter of fact, they should use the slogan, "Boveda- For lazy mother %#&^@*'$". ound:


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## Josh Lucky 13

I have been using 2 packs for almost 2 years now.


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## CanAsianPiper

I use 5-65% bovedas in my 150ct humidor. I also use a rectangular gel filled humidifier as a supplement, so the bovedas dont run out so quick during these winter months. So far, the two hygrometres are sitting at 64-65%


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## nfusion770

I use beads and throw the bovida packs in my coolidor just to keep them. Lately my beads have been drying out and I thought it was due to a particularly dry batch of cigars I picked up and the dry winter season but I should take a look and see that my beads and the bovida aren't fighting each other. Interesting.


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## Wicked_Rhube

I also recharge em. When they get that granular feeling I just throw em in a ziploc with a sponge soaked with distilled water and they come back to be nice and squishy in 2 days or so.


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## dinoa2

well , glad to hear about the recharging. didnt know they could recharge so will try when one goes dry.


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## mihc45

dinoa2 said:


> well , glad to hear about the recharging. didnt know they could recharge so will try when one goes dry.


Dont let them get to dry, they take substantialy longer to recharge once they get crispy. I switch mine out once a month and this seems to work great so far


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## BuenoBueno

Lots of great input here. I've been contemplating switching to boveda packs and beads as per the suggestion of my b&m guy. Looks like I'll save some money and hit up the heartfelt site for beads and my b&m for packs.


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## weeklystogie

BuenoBueno said:


> Lots of great input here. I've been contemplating switching to boveda packs and beads as per the suggestion of my b&m guy. Looks like I'll save some money and hit up the heartfelt site for beads and my b&m for packs.


Just be sure to get enough for your humidor size. I ended up putting in four per the recommendation (1 per each 25 cigar capacity) but I'm pretty sure I could have gone with less. They might just last longer. But definitely just one wouldn't be enough (or wasn't for me). You can also get a case of 12 off some Amazon vendor for about $39 which should last an awful long time.


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## thebigk

i use only boveda but did not know you could recharg them good to know thanks puff.


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## Wicked_Rhube

weeklystogie said:


> You can also get a case of 12 off some Amazon vendor for about $39 which should last an awful long time.


The Monster has 12 packs for $36 shipped, very regularly, almost every weekend. I am surprised they are not on the mash-up right now.


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## sh40218

I'm a Boveda fanboy all the way and they are what I use in all my humi's. You can't beat them for the price and what they offer. It's a true 2 way system and there is no exposed water, eliminating the chance for mold or spikes in RH when adding/replacing packs. They reccomend 1 pack per 25 stick capacity which is good but I always add 1 more. You can't overdue it with them and the more you have the longer they will last as they feed off eachother. 

Recharging these is easy and I've done it numerous times with zero problems. The thing is to charge them submerged in DW before they dry out completely. If they are rock hard it's takes weeks to get them back to normal. I recharge mine after they loose 70% of what they were like new. I can't say enough good things about Boveda so try them out and see how you like them. 

Note: I have a Boveda humi from Savoy that came with the the built in recessed holder in the lid. I keep 3 up there and 1 underneath the removable shelf. That way it's evenly humid and I don't have to rotate sticks as often. YMMV


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## Wicked_Rhube

Cigar Monster MEGA Mashup! has the 12 pack of 69% for $36 right now, might be there all weekend....


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## Eddien8620

sh40218 said:


> I'm a Boveda fanboy all the way and they are what I use in all my humi's. You can't beat them for the price and what they offer. It's a true 2 way system and there is no exposed water, eliminating the chance for mold or spikes in RH when adding/replacing packs. They reccomend 1 pack per 25 stick capacity which is good but I always add 1 more. You can't overdue it with them and the more you have the longer they will last as they feed off eachother.
> 
> Recharging these is easy and I've done it numerous times with zero problems. The thing is to charge them submerged in DW before they dry out completely. If they are rock hard it's takes weeks to get them back to normal. I recharge mine after they loose 70% of what they were like new. I can't say enough good things about Boveda so try them out and see how you like them.
> 
> Note: I have a Boveda humi from Savoy that came with the the built in recessed holder in the lid. I keep 3 up there and 1 underneath the removable shelf. That way it's evenly humid and I don't have to rotate sticks as often. YMMV


Do you literally submerge them in distiller water? I just did that to 5 packs that were semi dry, and after 30 mins I removed them to dry out because it didn't seem right.

I read on other posts that we are not suppose to let them come in contact with water....

Just let them absorb the humidity.

If so I wonder if I messed up my packets by submerging them???


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## TonyBrooklyn

Eddien8620 said:


> Do you literally submerge them in distiller water? I just did that to 5 packs that were semi dry, and after 30 mins I removed them to dry out because it didn't seem right.
> 
> I read on other posts that we are not suppose to let them come in contact with water....
> 
> Just let them absorb the humidity.
> 
> If so I wonder if I messed up my packets by submerging them???


Put them in a Ziploc bag with a water pillow in about two weeks good as new!


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## TonyBrooklyn

Wicked_Rhube said:


> Cigar Monster MEGA Mashup! has the 12 pack of 69% for $36 right now, might be there all weekend....


Yup there still there thanks R/G for you sir!


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## Eddien8620

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Put them in a Ziploc bag with a water pillow in about two weeks good as new!


since they were submerged for about 30 mins did I damage them?


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## pippin925

The boveda packs are great in Florida. I use the 65% packs to keep the humidity down. Plus unlike the ret of the country they last a very very long time since our RH is is normally high here.


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## TonyBrooklyn

Eddien8620 said:


> since they were submerged for about 30 mins did I damage them?


Nah i don't think so!


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## Eddien8620

Can I place all 5 packs in a zip lock bag with a shot glass of distilled water


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## Wicked_Rhube

Eddien8620 said:


> Can I place all 5 packs in a zip lock bag with a shot glass of distilled water


That should work, I usually use a DW soaked sponge, but shot glass, pillow, paper towel, they should all work. And as for submerging them, as long as it didn't crap out the outer paper you should be fine, if you handle em when soaked though the paper might fall apart on you.

And thanks for the bump Tony!


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